Defensive Tips to Win: Shock & Control, Pass Rush Plan, Stumble Bum

Sep 19, 2022 2:41 pm

Coach ,

Another week of great football has passed and I look forward to another week full of games and what we can learn from them.

This week on the defensive side I found three common areas which deserve some attention.

#1) Defeat the bubbles and screens & leverage tackle

This offseason I heard someone say that the “bubble” is dead. Based on what I’ve been seeing, bubbles and now screens are alive and well.

At many levels, these are used early in the game to get the QB into a rhythm. Of course, the defense would like to take him out of that rhythm and force him to throw down the field where the completion rate is much lower.

To take away these throws, having sound block destruction technique is at a premium! For Archie Collins, DB Coach Pitt, it’s about “shock and control” which he explains here (click on image for video):

Video: Shock and Control

#2) Pass Rush plan - Calculate the rush path

Knowing the launch point is an advantage for the defense. If you understand this and create a plan for your rushers, you can increase the likelihood of hits, hurries, and sacks.

So unless you have the Incredible Hulk, you won’t be able to have them run a straight line through the OL to the QB every single rush. That is why every rusher must calculate their rush path. Here’s a quick tutorial”

Identify the QB set point

The first step to determining your rush path is to figure out where the QB will set up to throw the ball. This is called his set point. Studying the QB set point is relatively simple. First, segment all your opponents passes into down and distance ranges. Your 3rd down segments should look like this...

3rd and 1-3
3rd and 4-6
3rd and 7-10
3rd and 10-15 and
3rd and 15+

Next, take a look at every clip in a segment and take note of where the QB sets up to pass. For example, in this 3rd and 5 clip the QB sets up at 8 yards...

Once you’ve gone through each clip in a segment and have taken note of the QB’s set point, now you need to determine his most probable set point.

Choose your track

Once you’ve studied the QB set point you need to choose a track. The two you can choose from are the tilt or speed track:

The speed track is a 90 degree upfield rush that should feel like racing in a 100M dash.

The tilt track on the other hand uses an angled approach to get to the QB. Your angle can range anywhere from a 45 - 75 degrees

Communicate the Plan and Rep It

Once this has been determined then get it reps and emphasize it all week long.

What track you choose will ultimately be determined by where you contact your opponent (the contact point), And where you contact your opponent will be determined by the QBs set point.

Former NFL and CFL defensive end Craig Roh laid out this plan and more in his resource “The Pass Rush Bible.”

#3) Turnovers - Find the and Exploit Opportunities

I watched games from every level from youth through the NFL this week, and one common aspect I saw in every single one was either focus and attention to getting the ball out, or a lack there of.

The saying is “what gets measured gets managed.” Whether you are midway through the season or just getting started, detail on getting the ball out will pay huge dividends as the season wears on. Many studies have been done on the turnover battle, but winning it equates to just about an 80% win rate.

There are situations where the ball carrier is more vulnerable to a takeover. One of those is commonly referred to as “stumble bum.” It’s the situation were the ball carrier is going down and trying to keep balance. In the effort to stay up, the ball security becomes lax.

This is where the opportunity to get the ball out is best. South Carolina DB Coach Torrian Gray explains how they work this situation in this video (click on image for video):

Video: Stumble Bum

We will keep looking for the details that can help you and your defense as the season goes forward.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski

P.S. We have coaches who have presented at our clinics who have their defenses performing at a high level here at the beginning of the season. Click on the links to see their presentations.

FBS Stat Leaders

James Madison

#1 Total Defense 163.0,

#1 Red Zone Defense .000

#1 Rush Defense 8.0 ypg

#7 Scoring Defense 7.00 ppg

#10 3rd Down .231

Temple

#6 3rd Down .205

#10 Sacks 11

Virginia Tech

#3 3rd Down .171